YEP Letters: June 3

Regarding the misuse of mobile phones, the latest report is about the madness on our roads.

People dying and others injured, why is the law so soft on these mindless idiots who bring misery to people’s lives every day?

The only thing is to raise the fine up to £1,000 and the threat of having their licence taken away from them, this fine of £200 is nothing to these mad men and women.

They will spend that on a weekend enjoyment, it might stop them using their phones if they were made go to into a hospital and see those poor souls with broken bodies.

A solution to cost of caring for the elderly

DS Boyes, Leeds 13

AS the debate on the care of the elderly cost liability rages on, the only solutions suggested so far are Labour’s draconian tax rises on companies and the very wealthy, which in practice never work, or the Conservatives’ arbitrary seizing of personal savings and property, on death, of those needing care.

Both are unpalatable to right-minded people, yet there is a very simple solution which would spread the burden on providing such care across the wider population.

That is to impose a special capital gains tax on all domestic residential property sales, not an excessive charge like stamp duty but a small simple figure percentage amount, which would not harm either the homeowners concerned or the still very important property market.

It’s not rocket science, and should be a very easy tax to collect as it would have to be paid as part of the completion or conveyancing to either solicitors or lenders. It might also help keep house prices down.

This would, by definition, ease the pain of the elderly threatened with loss of assets which they may have left in their wills to family. as I have done. Also to spread the burden across the taxpaying population, as the NHS, welfare system and local authority service provisions are. Some proper consultation needs to be given, or it will distort the outcome of the election.

Pensioners don’t do badly

Mary Wilcock, Horsforth

I HAVE have been listening to all these complaints about pensioners losing their winter fuel allowance.

We don’t do badly – we have free prescriptions, TV licence and bus passes. I have been drawing a state pension for 30 years, all of which has to be paid for by the young. We are far from wealthy, but the money could be put to better use. Those in genuine need should get it, but not those of us who can manage without it.

EU no threat to monarch

Don Burslam, Dewsbury.

THERE seems to be a belief that a country like ours with a monarch which is also a member of the EU is in an incompatible situation compared with the other members of the Union.

May I point out that the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Sweden and Spain are also monarchies and apparently co-exist quite happily with their fellow members. The belief that this country is in an anomalous situation is wholly fallacious and is at the root of much of our uneasy relationship with our neighbours.

Perhaps in view of this deeply ingrained attitude, it would be as well if we did finally sever our relationship, although the consequences will soon become apparent.

They still want us to pay up

Hilary Andrews, Leeds.

SO the EU wants us to continue to support their pensions and future citizens yet to be born.

Is this shower really worth bothering with? Hopefully we will continue to have a tough negotiation team after June 8. I can’t imagine Labour knowing its way round a negotiating table.

Brexit questions for candidates

From: Andy Shaw, Wakefield.

IN July, we start the negotiation to exit the EU.

They will dominate politics for the next two years and they will be tough. There is one key question on June 8 – which candidate will most support our Government in negotiations with the EU for a successful Brexit?

Here are five questions to ask all candidates standing in the election:

Whether you campaigned to leave or remain in the EU, do you accept that Brexit must be implemented and we leave all EU bodies which take power away from UK decision-making?

Our negotiations with the EU start in July; they will be tough. Will you be supporting the UK negotiating team when there are conflicts with the EU?

Do you accept that in any negotiation, you only have a strong hand if you are prepared to walk away and have the confidence to do so? Will you support the UK government in this approach?

If the EU continues to demand a massive ‘exit bill’ in exchange for a free trade deal, will you reject the EU’s demands and support the UK government negotiating team?

Will you work with people in your constituency to find and seize opportunities presented by Brexit? Will you work to make it a success for your constituents?

Importance of good team work

Andrew Mercer, Guiseley.

THE fact that Huddersfield Town earned promotion to the Premier League with the fourth lowest wage bill in the Championship, wages are capped at £10,000 a week, shows the importance of good management – and team work.

This is a lesson for other clubs – and also Britain’s public services.

Underwhelmed at debate

Michael O’Sullivan, Allerton Bywater.

AFTER watching the May/ Corbyn performances, I was totally underwhelmed.

Do I trust the word of either? I do not. I am a Leave backer and have wanted out of the EU for years, but against this I worry about the NHS and what a large majority Tory regime would do to it.

Downsize the number of MPs

Robert Holman, Leeds 28

WHILST every major business on the High Street are cutting their costs by reducing units and staff, what happened to the political policy plan to downsize the number of MPs and local councillors and the seats in the House of Lords, now standing room only?

The money saved would more than cover the NHS shortfall or go towards it.

Some species need zoos

T Maunder, Kirkstall

I NOTE some animal rights groups have spoken out against zoos in light of the incident at a zoo.

One of the reasons zoos exist is because the human species (and let’s not forget we are primates,ie, animals, ourselves)is causing a number of species to verge on extinction and, like it or not, zoos are the only place where they might be enabled to procreate safely.

I don’t particularly like zoos and I am a member of WWF, sponsoring a number of species like snow leopards, but we must accept that some species need zoos to exist in order to survive, irrespective of the ethical issue of their “entertainment” value.

What we need to stop and “out” are the revolting, mainly white, male, and some female, Americans who parade their kills all over social media. Shaming them there is one positive step.